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CorollaryStatement: Literature-sourcedProof: AI-adaptedprecheck passaudited 2026-08-27
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A radical ideal in a Noetherian ring is a finite intersection of minimal primes

Statement

Let R be a Noetherian commutative ring and let I⊴R be a radical ideal. Then there exist prime ideals p1,…,pm minimal over I such that I=p1∩⋯∩pm; when I=R, this means m=0 and the empty intersection is R. In particular, I has only finitely many minimal prime ideals.

The proof uses Noetherian induction and inherits the dependent-choice cost already recorded there; it introduces no further choice principle.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A Noetherian commutative ring R and a radical ideal I⊴R.

[L2]

If a proper radical ideal is not prime, then every prime minimal over it is minimal over one of two strictly larger ideals I+(x) or I+(y) obtained from a factorization xy∈I with x,y∉I (The Noetherian minimal-prime induction split).

[L3]

Radicals of products satisfy JK=J∩K (The radical of a product of ideals).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1L1given

Let P be the collection of radical ideals J⊴R for which there exist finitely many prime ideals minimal over J whose intersection equals J. By [L1], it is enough to fix a radical ideal I and assume that every radical ideal strictly containing I lies in P.

1.2givenalgebra

If I=R, then no prime ideal contains I, and the empty intersection is R. So I∈P in this boundary case.

1.3given

If I is prime, then I itself is the unique prime minimal over I, so I∈P.

1.4L2choosealgebra

Assume now that I is neither R nor prime. Then I is a proper radical ideal, so [L2] applies: choose x,y∉I with xy∈I, and set J=I+(x) and K=I+(y). Because I is radical and x,y∉I, both J and K strictly contain I. Hence the induction hypothesis places both J and K in P, and [L2] also says that every prime minimal over I is minimal over I+(x) or over I+(y).

2.1L3step 1.4choosealgebra

Choose finite families of prime ideals minimal over J and K with J=p1∩⋯∩pr and K=q1∩⋯∩qs. The product (I+(x))(I+(y)) is contained in I: expanding (a+rx)(b+sy) gives terms in I because a,b∈I and xy∈I. Therefore J∩K=(I+(x))(I+(y))⊆I by [L3]. The reverse inclusion I⊆J∩K is immediate, so I=p1∩⋯∩pr∩q1∩⋯∩qs.

3.1step 1.4step 2.1algebra

By step 1.4, every prime minimal over I belongs to the finite family F={p1,…,pr,q1,…,qs}. Let M⊆F be the subfamily of inclusion-minimal members. Every element of M is a prime ideal minimal over I, and every prime in F contains some member of M because F is finite. Removing a prime ideal that contains another one does not change an intersection, so the intersection over M is still I. Thus I∈P.

4.1step 1.1step 1.2step 1.3step 3.1∎

Steps 1.2, 1.3, and 3.1 establish the induction step promised in step 1.1. Therefore every radical ideal of R is an intersection of finitely many prime ideals minimal over it, and in particular has only finitely many minimal prime ideals.

Depends on

Used by

Dependency tree · two levels

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Sources